Bedwetting is highly common for children in their early years of development, with approximately a third of 4-year-olds wetting the bed. By the time children turn six, that number reduces to approximately 1 in 10 children, with rates halving again by the age of 10. In rare cases, wetting the bed can continue beyond the age of 10 and into adolescence.

The large majority of children who wet the bed in their early years aren’t likely to experience any lasting issues or consequences, although some may feel uncomfortable or ashamed after a bedwetting event.

As parents, knowing what to look out for can be a useful step in helping your child through their bedwetting experiences, as well as understanding when it may be necessary to see your child’s doctor.

Bedwetting has a wide range of causes in children, with no two circumstances exactly the same. It’s important to understand these causes, as they’re useful in not only helping to normalise bedwetting for your child, but also in monitoring for medical risks in the case of long-term, continuous bedwetting.

Bedwetting causes include:

• Genetic predispositions - if one or both parents wet the bed as a child, there’s a stronger likelihood that your child will do the same
• Reduced bladder capacities
• An increased production of urine throughout the night in the kidneys
• Constipations
• A child who’s a deep sleeper

While it’s rare, there can also be underlying medical issues that contribute to bedwetting tendencies. These can be identified by a doctor on an as-needed basis.

If your child has recently begun to wet the bed, don’t fear: odds are high that one of the causes listed above is responsible for the nocturnal urinary activity. It is, however, wise to familiarise yourself with the circumstances under which it’s necessary to speak to your family doctor. This may be suitable if your child is:

• Wetting the bed beyond age 7
• Consistently frustrated as a result of wetting the bed
• An increased production of urine throughout the night in the kidneys
• An older child is wetting their pants, or experiencing bowel movements, during the day
• Wetting the bed after a period of 6 months or more of dry nights

Wetting the bed can be a frustrating experience for children and their parents alike. Not only can it cause embarrassment for the child, but the need to change sheets regularly can cause significant disruption to the sleep quality of all family members.

While most children will grow out of wetting the bed and improve their bladder control on their own, there are a number of steps parents can take in order to make this time easier for their child.

These can include:

• Encouraging healthy fluid intakes. It’s vital that your child is remaining adequately hydrated throughout both the day and night. By spreading your child’s fluid intake evenly throughout the day, this can help to regulate the flow of urine, reducing the risk of a wet bed.
• Bedwetting alarms. These alarms have proven to help 80%-90% of children to reduce their bedwetting, with most children then remaining dry after they finish using the alarm. Bedwetting alarms are largely considered the first step in treating bedwetting successfully.
• Medications. It’s rare for children who wet the bed to require medication, but your doctor will review whether this treatment option is suitable for your child’s unique circumstances. Medication can help your child to produce less urine during the night, as well as reduce the likelihood of their bladder overfilling as they sleep. Medication is often a secondary step.
• Motivation and encouragement. If shame is one of the least helpful tools in combating bedwetting, encouraging your child can be one of the most powerful. Some children will respond well to a visual reminder of their progress, such as a sticker chart that tracks dry nights and wet nights. This can be personal to each child, taking different forms of motivation that may help them to focus on their goals as they move towards dry nights.

No matter which treatment options you pursue, patience is a non-negotiable part of supporting your child through the bedwetting season. If there are siblings in the house, it’s also important that they’re a voice of encouragement for their sibling, rather than making the experience worse through teasing or mocking.

Remind your child that you’re in this together, finding new ways to encourage them regularly. Any treatment plan needs to be undertaken together - the more ownership your child can take over the process, the higher the chances of success.

Moving from regular bedwetting to consistently dry nights can be a long process. ConfidenceClub’s disposable pants and pull-ups can provide the perfect transition tool to keep your child dry, safe and comfortable throughout the night. Designed with excellent protection against leakage, you can find pull-up pants and slips that are scaled for weight and age, creating the perfect fit for your child throughout their incontinence journey.

The right incontinence supplies can also give your child confidence as they work through bedwetting. If your child is regularly waking up as a result of a wet bed, pull-up pants can help them to sleep through the night consistently, providing them with more energy as they work towards dry nights.

Experts agree that one of the worst things parents can do is punish their child for wetting the bed. This is the opposite of a safe, nurturing environment, and can inadvertently make it harder for the child to grow in confidence and ability. By bringing a positive energy into every part of the bedwetting experience, your child will feel safe and secure, knowing they have nothing to be ashamed about. For many of us, it wasn’t that long ago that we were learning these tools ourselves!

ConfidenceClub was born when founders Garron and Gavin realised just how difficult it was to find the right products for incontinence in Australia. With incontinence affecting kids, adults and ageing people alike, the team realised they could make a major difference to the quality of life of many Australians.

Today, ConfidenceClub supplies millions of items annually to Australians across the country. Our commitment to high-quality incontinence products comes from our vision to eliminate the burden of managing incontinence through products and experiences that are easy, positive and preferred.

We know bedwetting can be an emotional and challenging experience for kids and their parents alike. That’s why our disposable incontinence products for juniors and teens are designed to provide effective, secure and easy solutions, helping everyone to get a restful night’s sleep.

Find the support you need to navigate your child’s bedwetting season with encouragement, positivity and compassion. Our products will be right there with you at every step of the way.

If you have any questions about our product range, you can speak to our customer service team 6 days a week, by calling 1800 86 11 99 or emailing hello@confidenceclub.com.au. We also have an online chat on our website. We’re here to help!

We hope this article has helped shed some light on what to expect regarding bedwetting in children. Why not check out our other helpful articles while you’re here?